This paper first addresses the issue of the contradictory nature of informed opinion and advice in the foreign language field today. It goes on to consider such controversial topics as the introduction of the written symbol, teaching the language versus teaching about it, teaching culture, the usefulness of FLES, and individualization. The…

This article relates four incidents drawn from cultural lore of different countries and demonstrates the interrelatedness of international folklore. The historio- geographical method, also known as the Finnish school, of comparative folklore is discussed in the analysis of the four cultural items. Language teachers are advised of ways in which…

The dual mandate of modern language learning is considered to be linguistic competence and scholarly expertise in literature or in philology. The need for the systematic study of culture in modern language studies is discussed, and programs in the United States and Great Britain are compared. (MLW)

This Report presents an exploratory preview of the problem of teaching culture at the elementary school level in foreign language programs. Two basic premises underlie this study: (1) the study of foreign languages and cultures is an essential part of the education of today's children, and (2) language and culture are inseparable, that is, to…

This is the first in a series of texts in a conversational Spanish course for elementary school children. Fifteen basic units present introductory linguistic patterns and cultural insights into the lives of Spaniards. They include: (1) Greetings, Identifications, and Farewells, (2) Some Classroom Objects and Instructions, (3) Colors, (4) More…

This teacher's guide for use in a fourth-grade French course concentrates on the development of basic audiolingual skills. Twelve lessons, each containing an exposition, dialogue, teaching procedures, and dialogue adaptation, emphasize the use of French during classroom instruction. Lessons include: (1) a review unit, (2) "La chemise neuve," (3)…

This teacher's guide for use in a third-grade French course concentrates on the development of audiolingual skills. Ten lessons, each containing an exposition, dialogue, teaching procedures, and dialogue adaptation, emphasize the use of French during classroom instruction. Lessons include: (1) greetings, identifications, and farewells, (2) some…

This is the third volume in a series of texts in a conversational Spanish course for elementary school children. Nine basic units present introductory linguistic patterns and cultural insights into the lives of the Spanish people. They include: (1) Review Unit 1, ("Cristobal Colon"), (2) Review Unit 2, (3) "Un Accidente,""La Navidad," and…

This is the second volume in a series of texts in a conversational Spanish course for elementary school children. Fourteen basic units present introductory linguistic patterns and cultural insights into the lives of the Spanish people. They include: (1) Review Unit 1, (2) Review Unit 2, (3) Special Unit A--"Cristobal Colon," (4) Review Unit 3, (5)…

This teacher's guide, for use in a fifth-grade German course, contains 12 units of instructional materials which concentrate on the development of basic audiolingual skills. Each of the units consists of conversational skits, dialogue adaptation, directed dialogue review, and classroom drills. Units include: (1) Das Aufstehen und das Fruhstuck,…

Thirty lessons for use in fourth-grade German FLES programs are contained in this audiolingual language text. The subject matter treated involves the child's life in school, his family, his peer group, and the larger social community. Each lesson is based on an illustrated dialogue and includes questions and exercises. For the companion documents,…

This guide is planned to help the FLES teacher develop pleasurable language learning experiences in spoken German for children at the third-grade level. Experiences included in this guide present German in life situations, as well as insight into German culture. The guide offers suggestions for classroom procedures, and detailed directions are…

A three-year experimental program established in 1966 in Spanish language instruction at the secondary level is reported in this study. Students at Commack High School North, New York, participated in a total immersion language program in Spanish, taking two to four classes of instruction in the target language per day. Classes included regular…

This course, designed to be used with sixth-grade children who have followed the "MLA Guides in Spanish" beginning with the Grade Three Guide, emphasizes the development of reading skills. Eleven units are included in the text, each centered about mastery of a basic dialogue and related reading exercises. Linguistic concepts are developed through…

The French department, commonly viewed by chairmen and faculty as the conveyor of culture, is admonished to revamp its curriculum and attempt to embrace a broader, more humane understanding of the nature of culture. With the traditional, belletristic, college French curriculum having been rejected in favor of programs based on "cogency, cohesion,…